This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Surgeries are often performed on humans and animals alike to treat a disease or injury. Treatment of a disease or injury often results in the surgeon having to repair a separated bone. In the case of an injury such as a trauma, the surgeon is often required to immobilize the bone portions at the location of the injury to allow the bone to heal over time. In the case of treatment of a disease such as heart disease, the surgeon is often required to cut a patient's sternum to gain access to and perform a procedure on the patient's heart. Once the heart procedure is complete, the cut sternum is repaired by joining the separate ends of the sternum at the surgical location. As with treatment of an injury, the surgeon immobilizes the area of the sternum to allow the sternum to heal over time. Regardless of whether the surgeon is treating an injury or repairing a separated bone necessitated by another surgical procedure, immobilization of the site, as well as application of a compressive force to the bone, hastens the patient's recovery time and affords the bone time to heal.